Vic Fangio was obviously thrilled when he found out about the trade for two-time All-Pro Khalil Mack last weekend.Fangio is eager to work with Mack after the Bears pulled off a blockbuster deal with Oakland on Saturday http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/gareon-conley-jersey , jolting a franchise with four straight last-place finishes.The trade capped a busy offseason that saw the Bears mostly load up around quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Fangio now has one of the best pass rushers in the NFL leading an already solid defense, not a bad consolation after he got passed over for the head coaching job in favor of Matt Nagy.The Bears suddenly seem like contenders for a playoff spot. But Fangio wasn't about to plan any parades.He has plenty to do this week, working in a new superstar while scheming to face Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in a primetime opener at Lambeau Field on Sunday night. It's not clear how much Mack will play, though he obviously figures to give the defense a huge boost whenever he steps on the field."Well, I would say (Mack) could be a major help to us," Fangio said. "Any time you get a player of his ability it can do nothing but help make you better, helps make the players around him better, but he's been the same player in Oakland throughout his career, very well decorated and a lot of honors that he deserved and Oakland was never better than mid-20s in defense, so one guy doesn't make a whole unit, as pretty evident by that."The Raiders ranked in the 20s on defense in each of Mack's four seasons. But he's joining a unit that was 10th overall last year.Now, the Bears are adding a player with 40陆 sacks, and nine forced fumbles in his four seasons. Mack also leads all players with 185陆 quarterback pressures and ranks second with 68 tackles for loss since entering the league, according to SportRadar.It's not hard for Fangio to envision more opportunities for Leonard Floyd on the opposite edge with opponents keying on Mack. He sees the same for the inside linebackers and the defensive backs, with quarterbacks under more pressure."It's a chain reaction, a domino effect and hopefully, that's what we'll see," Fangio said.The question is how soon.Mack sat out the entire offseason and preseason with Oakland trying to get a long-term extension rather than play under the final year of his rookie contract. He wound up getting a six-year http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/reggie-nelson-jersey , $141 million extension that guarantees him $90 million and makes him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history."I think for Khalil and us in general it's just going to be knowing where he's at mentally with Vic's system and then understanding where he is physically and matching the two together," Nagy said. "We're not going to know really until we get into it and we just kind of gauge it."Like Mack, rookie inside linebacker Roquan Smith is playing catch-up. The No. 8 overall draft pick held out the first three weeks of training camp before agreeing to a four-year contract that guarantees him $18.5 million. He has dealt with a tight left hamstring the past three weeks. And Floyd is getting used to playing with a casted club on his broken right hand."These guys are very talented," Mack said. "You see the skillsets that they have. We're only trying to get better. That's the only thing I'm asking from the group, that we all get better and hold each other accountable.‘Heartbeat of this team’ Khalil Mack contract holdout has been ‘grueling’ for Raiders We are officially exactly two weeks until the Raiders open the 2018 NFL season. And still no Khalil Mack. What once seemed like no big deal and no reason to panic has started to get a little more stressful. The Raiders coaches don’t absolutely need Mack to participate in the offseason program or minicamp or training camp or even the preseason. Hell, Derek Carr has taken 13 snaps this preseason, so how much of a difference would having Khalil Mack make? Gruden thinks it would make a big difference.“His playmaking, his leadership, his presence,” Gruden says of what Mack brings to the team dynamic. “Great players like Mack have all those things going for them. They make people around them better. And they make offenses account for you. If you’re going to account for Khalil Mack, you probably got to double team the guy. Someone else is not going to have to deal with that. There’s a lot of things that a great player brings to your football team. Hopefully that’s sometime soon.”Yeah, sometime soon would be kind of a must at this point. And Gruden is not going to predict Mack will make it in time to start the season.“I don’t want to put any timetable on it,” Gruden continued. “This has obviously been a long process that’s been grueling for both parties, the fans, and me personally. We’re just hoping we can get him in here.”This is the second year in a row the Raiders have gone through this with one of their players. Donald Penn held out of camp and preseason looking for a new contract. He ended up returning to the team just prior to the start of the season despite not having a deal in place. And he eventually got the deal he was looking for. So, as you might expect, he doesn’t think having Mack here this offseason is a big deal.“It doesn’t impact us at all. It’s the next guy up. It’s part of the business game,” Penn said of Mack’s absence. “Every guy in that locker room — I know how it is http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/seth-roberts-jersey , I’ve been through it three times already in my career —those guy know how the business side of this. They know as a professional athlete, when you’re not here, you have to take care of yourself and I know Khalil’s out there working his butt off just like I was when I was holding out.”In fact, Penn thinks Mack’s absence has actually been a good thing.“We want him here, but I don’t think it’s affecting us, I think it’s helping us,” said Penn. “We know what Khalil can do, everybody knows what Khalil can do. Now we got guys like [Arden] Key and all these guys getting reps out there. We got Fadol [Brown] who’s coming out here just balling, he’s having a great camp. My hat’s off to him and Key, they’re both having a great camp. Give these guys reps, give these guys time to grow. It kind of helped when I was hurting this offseason because Kolton [Miller] has been able to get all those reps and been able to grow and get better and help us as a team when Khalil does get here and we go full force.”Penn said he spoke to Mack prior to the team’s second preseason game against the Rams, and he said Mack was “In good spirits”. But if the next time the Raider face the Rams in the season opener, Mack isn’t back in uniform, there won’t be any cause for good spirits then.When the games start counting, this team absolutely cannot be without its best player. At least Penn understands that.“I hope and a pray it gets done real fast because he and Derek are the heartbeat of this team,” Penn added. He speaks for an entire organization and fan base with that statement.Follow @LeviDamien

Here are the snap counts for the Detroit Lions’ Week 3 win over the New England Patriots. Offense:QuarterbacksMatthew Stafford: 74 (100%)Running backsKerryon Johnson: 33 (45%)LeGarrette Blount: 26 (36%)Theo Riddick: 21 (28%)FullbacksNick Bellore: 4 (5%) — 17 special teams snaps (68%)Tight endsLuke Willson: 40 (54%) — 9 (36%)Levine Toilolo: 37 (50%) — 6 (24%)Hakeem Valles: 6 (8%)Wide receiversMarvin Jones Jr.: 67 (91%)Kenny Golladay: 65 (88%)Golden Tate: 55 (74%)TJ Jones: 13 (18%) — 1 (4%)Offensive tacklesTaylor Decker: 74 (100%) — 6 (24%)Rick Wagner: 74 (100%) — 6 (24%)Guards/centersGraham Glasgow: 74 (100%) — 6 (24%)Frank Ragnow: 74 (100%) — 6 (24%)T.J. Lang: 74 (100%) — 4 (16%)Kenny Wiggins: 3 (4%) — 6 (24%)Observations:Kerryon Johnson continues to garner the most snaps among the running backs Youth Matthew Stafford Jersey , but this time, it wasn’t due to an injury or ejection to Blount. He still isn’t considered the starter yet, but it’s only a matter of time.Hakeem Valles took Michael Roberts’ place on the field this week, but didn’t do much of any work with the offense.A very minor note: T.J. Lang didn’t play in all of the special teams snaps he would normally play in. That suggests he may not be 100 percent healthy from his back injury. Hopefully he didn’t reaggravate anything, but the fact that he played every offensive snap is enough to think he’ll be fine. Defense:Defensive endRomeo Okwara: 40 (83%) — 1 (4%)Da’Shawn Hand: 23 (48%) — 2 (8%)Defensive tackleA’Shawn Robinson: 20 (42%) — 4 (16%)Sylvester Williams: 16 (33%) — 2 (8%)Ricky Jean Francois: 15 (31%) — 2 (8%)LinebackersDevon Kennard: 48 (100%) — 2 (8%)Jarrad Davis: 48 (100%) — 2 (8%)Christian Jones: 24 (50%) — 7 (28%)Eli Harold: 21 (44%) — 3 (12%)Jalen Reeves-Maybin: 11 (23%) — 15 (60%)Marquis Flowers: 0 (0%) — 12 (48%)CornerbacksQuandre Diggs: 48 (100%) — 5 (20%)Darius Slay: 48 (100%) — 6 (24%)Nevin Lawson: 48 (100%) — 12 (48%)Jamal Agnew: 22 (46%) — 9 (36%)DeShawn Shead: 13 (27%) — 6 (24%)Teez Tabor: 0 (0%) — 15 (60%)Dee Virgin: 0 (0%) — 14 (56%)SafetyGlover Quin: 48 (100%) — 2 (8%)Tavon Wilson: 22 (46%) — 7 (28%)Tracy Walker: 13 (27%) — 17 (68%)Miles Killebrew: 0 (0%) — 17 (68%)Charles Washington: 0 (0%) — 17 (68%)Observations:There’s a ton to digest here, but look at those defensive line numbers. Outside of Romeo Okwara (which... wow) Authentic Michael Roberts Jersey , everyone saw a pretty significant decrease in their roles Sunday night, especially the defensive tackles. Sylvester Williams and Ricky Jean Francois barely played, as the Lions elected to go very linebacker/defensive back heavy.Speaking of the linebackers, the importance of Jarrad Davis and Devon Kennard to this team cannot be overstated. Both haven’t come off the field for a single snap in the past two weeks. Meanwhile with Ezekiel Ansah injured and Kerry Hyder a healthy scratch, Eli Harold saw a significant bump in playing time (along with Okwara).The Lions secondary had a phenomenal game Sunday night, and part of it was likely due to the stability of the defensive backs. Four players never left the field: Quandre Diggs http://www.authenticsdetroitlions.com/cheap-sam-martin-jersey , Nevin Lawson, Darius Slay and Glover Quin. Speaking of defensive backs the Lions utilized DeShawn Shead and Tracy Walker effectively, especially when it came to neutralizing Rob Gronkowski for most of the night. Special teamsSam Martin: 15 (60%)Don Muhlbach: 8 (32%)Matt Prater: 6 (24%) The Miami Dolphins released defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on Tuesday in the wake of his angry sideline outburst after he came out of a lopsided loss at New England."Free at last free at last," Phillips wrote in an Instagram post that was later deleted. "Good luck to my brothers on the team. I'll miss ya'll, but I couldn't be happier to be out of there. ... Sometimes you got to put your future in your own hands and live with it."Phillips and the rest of Miami's front four were dominated in Sunday's 38-7 loss to the Patriots, who rushed for 175 yards.Phillips said his flare-up during the game didn't play a role in his release."Just here to squash this sideline outburst stuff.... this move had nothing to do with that Youth Jarrad Davis Jersey ," he tweeted.The Dolphins (3-1) had the day off and didn't discuss the reason for the move. On Monday, coach Adam Gase defended defensive line coach Kris Kocurek's substitution pattern.The Dolphins also placed center Daniel Kilgore on injured reserve with a triceps injury. They signed center Wesley Johnson and promoted defensive end Cameron Malveaux to the active roster from the practice squad.Johnson, who becomes Miami's backup center behind Travis Swanson, made 24 starts for the New York Jets in 2015-17 and was with the Detroit Lions during training camp this year. Malveaux played in four games as a rookie last year.Phillips was a second-round draft pick in 2015 who has 26 starts and developed a reputation as an inconsistent underachiever. He came off the bench this season as part of the defensive line rotation, and had one sack and five tackles.Gase has spoken often about his desire to improve the team's culture following a 6-10 season in 2017.

WinnersPass Authentic Matthew Stafford Jersey rushAfter rewatching the first half of last week’s game, I noticed a very interesting lineup. The Lions, on an obvious passing situation, trotted out Anthony Zettel and Kerry Hyder as interior D-linemen, and it worked.Patricia went with that same lineup on 3rd-and-long situations and we saw the same results, with Hyder notching another couple of pressures and Zettel earning a sack that was nullified after a hold on Tavon Wilson extended the drive.The pass rush wasn’t entirely consistent, but it was much better tonight than it has been to date, especially from the first-team defense.Hakeem VallesValles is becoming the most reliable TE the Lions have in the passing game with him hauling in three catches for 38 yards against the Bucs on Friday, while Michael Roberts was out there for the 109-yard return TD showing absolutely no effort to make a tackle. I think Valles is a near-lock at this point.Also, keep an eye out for Luke Willson’s status, who suffered a knee injury during the game and never returned.Ricky Jean FrancoisI was going to throw him in there with the pass rush Womens Sylvester Williams Jersey , but I think RJF deserves his own spot for being arguably the best player on the field for the Lions on Friday night. With six tackles, Jean Francois led all Lions not named Nevin Lawson with 6 tackles, making some key stops against the run and notching at least one pressure.Running gameIf there is any positive to take from this game, it’s the running backs and the dudes up front blocking for them. Four of the Lions’ five running backs averaged 4.1 yards per carry or higher with the O-line opening up real, actual lanes and getting some serious push up front.Matt CasselHave to imagine he’s your backup QB after the performance he put on while playing with a mix of starters and second stringers. Rudock did lead the Lions to a win on the final drive of the game, but I think the edge goes to Cassel here. Brandon PowellI still don’t see Powell making the team with Tate and TJ Jones likely ahead of him and no real reason for the Lions to keep a slot guy as their fifth receiver, but he left some good tape out there for the Lions or any other team looking for a shifty, special teams ace. Powell should easily make the practice squad and his best chance to make the final roster is if TJ Jones’ spot isn’t as safe as we think.LosersRed zone offenseThe offense had absolutely no problem moving the ball on the Bucs early, but the dreaded red zone offense reared its ugly head as we’ve seen in years past, and despite getting all the way inside the 10-yard line on two consecutive drives, the offense walked away with just six points total.Jarrad DavisThis game was reminiscent of the Patriots’ preseason game from last year. To see Davis show no improvement whatsoever is a little disconcerting for the second-year linebacker. Davis is the captain of the defense Color Rush Ricky Jean Francois Jersey , and may be the biggest liability they have right now on that side of the ball. People who want to watch real footballI don’t really know how to explain what happened at the end of the first half, but instead of electing to use some of his timeouts, Matt Patricia decided to let his offense run the clock to its final five seconds for a 62-yard field goal attempt.And then this happened.Welp.I feel pretty confident that this was not a series of decisions that Patricia would make during the regular season, but who knows? Preseason is weird.Nevin LawsonLawson had a bullseye on his back and was constantly abused by anyone lined up across from him. That includes getting torched in the second half against the Bucs’ reserves. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a worse performance in the preseason since I started writing about the Lions, and I’m pretty sure Lawson might receive the first ever negative grade from Pro Football Focus.First team on both sidesThis was a poor performance all across the board from the starters against a team they beat last year and should probably outperform. It’s only the preseason, but I think there is some real cause for concern with how the starters have looked so far.PODcast recaps Lions-Cowboys, begs Detroit to pay Golden Tate The PODcast doesn’t like talking about losses, but we do the deed because some of you have decided that the vibrations of our vocal chords don’t cause you distress or dismay. We appreciate that, and it’s why we convene every week.This week, we have the unfortunate task of breaking down the Detroit Lions’ 24-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. It certainly wasn’t as bad as previous games, but watching Ezekiel Elliott destroy the Lions’ run defense was as pleasurable as it was surprising. However Youth Matthew Stafford Jersey , we break it all down on this week’s episode.Download and subscribe to the PODcast on iTunes, Stitcher or Spreaker!This week on the PODcast:We all knew Elliott was the man to stop... so why didn’t the Lions even slow him down?Jarrad Davis may have blown the final play of the game, but he overall played... well? Progress. Does this week’s loss to the Cowboys discount the Lions’ win over the Patriots?PAY. THE. MAN. The PODcast crew relives Golden Tate’s fantastic performance in Dallas and pleads with the Detroit Lions to give him the contract he deserves this upcoming offseason (or earlier).We try to pick out the positives from Sunday’s game, including another promising performance from Da’Shawn Hand, Matthew Stafford’s top five performance Jeremy rants more about everyone freaking out over Kerryon Johnson’s nine carries. Across the NFL, the Vikings defense is bad? Mitchell Trubisky is good? Why is this year so weird already?Mailbag talks fall food, apple cider, waffles vs. pancakes and any regrets in not making a move for Khalil Mack?

The Detroit Lions Authentic Frank Ragnow Jersey waived defensive lineman Anthony Zettel and were awarded former New York Giants defensive end Romeo Okwara via waivers on Wednesday. The news was first reported by ESPN reporter Field Yates and later confirmed by the Lions organization.While the move is fairly straight forward—replacing one defensive lineman with another—the transaction comes after the 53-man roster cutdowns and many NFL observers had assumed that Zettel’s place on the Lions roster was secured, perhaps even as a starting option opposite Ezekiel Ansah.Instead, the Lions have decided to take their chances on the waiver wire, less than six days before their season opener against the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football.” Okwara, an undrafted lineman from Notre Dame, played for the Giants from 2016 until Tuesday, when he was released by the organization. He spent most of the 2017 season on the injured reserve, suffering from an issue with his knee. During this preseason, Okwara was productive for the Giants, recording eight QB pressures—one sack http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/sam-martin-jersey , one hit, and six hurries according to Pro Football Focus’ Brett Whitefield.According to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, Zettel, the sixth-round pick from the 2016 NFL Draft, was in the Lions locker room not an hour before he was waived.A Commotion on the Strip: How to bet on NFL Week 1 What a year for the sin of gambling! The gates on sports betting have been battered down, and now if you want to put down figures on a sleazy Thursday night football game, you don’t need to go to Nevada—a land of fading music acts smelling vaguely of minty beef stew. Instead, you can go to Atlantic City! Just what we the doctor ordered.We’re going to check the lines all year long and give you exactly what you need to make a considerable amount of money. No guarantees, no promises, and if you don’t hold me to it I won’t hold you to this baseball bat neither. Now let’s make some picks.Season record: 0-0. All beginnings are endings Authentic Ziggy Ansah Jersey , all endings are also endings.ATL +1.5 @ PHIThere’s something reassuring, cosmic even, that even a team like the Philadelphia Eagles can win a Super Bowl and immediately fall to injuries and doubt. Somehow I don’t think the Nick Foles cycle continues much longer here, but just enough to give them a taste. Good things just don’t get to happen to teams in the NFC.The past three kickoff games have failed to see the defending champions cover the spread, and you shouldn’t expect too much different this week. Movement on this line is watching bettors run away from Philadelphia.PIT -4 @ CLEAre you worried about Le’Veon Bell’s holdout hamstringing the Steelers offense? Well you shouldn’t be! Asides from the fact that it’s not proper for any working soul to begrudge a man demanding proper compensation for his labor, the Steelers were without Bell in 2015 and did just fine. In 10 matches without him, Pittsburgh averaged 31.9 points per game.MIN vs. SF under 46In time betting the under will vanish from this fair earth, all manner of disagreements resolved, the winter of our discontent and things of that nature. But in this case, I’m happy to think highly of Minnesota’s defense and San Francisco’s struggle to get the offense running will translate into a low-scoring affair.MIA +1.5 vs. TENHome dogs are nice early on in the year Womens Michael Roberts Jersey , or so I like to believe.CAR -3 vs. DALCall this one a gut play. I see a lot of numbers sites and wise guys liking Carolina and I can’t explain why. I’ll take the Panthers.DEN -3 vs. SEAYou should read this piece by Justis Mosqueda about how Denver is a death trap early in the season. 85 percent winning in the first two weeks is insane, and it’s not a trend limited to just years where they were juggernauts.NYJ +6.5 @ DETI don’t see the value of spotting short of a touchdown to the Lions, but this line has held steady through the week. That’s in spite of all the news that has come for both teams. It’s properly curious for a primetime game. I smell a trap, but this is the first round of picks and I’d be a fool not to include Detroit in here.All the restI just said I hate betting the under, right? It’s a terrible thing, rooting for football to be constrained in numerical functionality. But given the new helmet rules and some particularly curious matchups paired with high totals, there’s a good trend here to take the snake and call it short. I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean.IND -3 vs. CINOAK vs. LAR under 49.5KC +3.5 @ LACBAL vs. BUF over 40.5ARI -1 vs. WASNE -6.5 vs. HOUGB vs. CHI under 47.5NO vs. TB under 49.5NYG +3 vs. JAX

Devonta Freeman is going on injured reserve Atlanta Falcons T-Shirt , another major setback for a team that already has lost several key players.Coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday that Freeman's groin injury was more serious than initially thought, forcing him to undergo a surgical procedure.In another injury related move, the Falcons signed kicker Giorgio Tavecchio. He will fill in at least one game for Matt Bryant, who strained his right hamstring making a 57-yard field goal in the 34-29 victory over the Buccaneers.One of the NFL's highest-paid running backs, Freeman is the fifth Atlanta player to go on injured reserve this season. He follows safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen, linebacker Deion Jones and offensive guard Andy Levitre.Neal, Allen and Levitre are all out for the season. The Falcons hope Jones, sidelined by a foot problem since Week 1, will be able to return after missing the required eight games.Freeman has been slowed by a variety of injuries the last two seasons. This year, he missed three games with a bruised knee sustained in a season-opening loss at Philadelphia. When he returned for a game at Pittsburgh, he went down with a foot injury and also was bothered by groin soreness that caused him to miss last Sunday's victory over Tampa Bay ."Following the game against Pittsburgh, where Devonta injured his foot, we thought he was just having general soreness in his groin area," Quinn said in a statement. "As the week went on it continued, so we decided to have him get some tests. It has been determined that he will need a procedure that will result in us placing him on injured reserve. We are hopeful he will be able to return this season, but we will have a better feel for that in the coming weeks."Freeman will have to sit out at least eight games while on IR, which means he wouldn't be eligible to return for the Falcons (2-4) until the next-to-last game of the regular season.Freeman signed his big deal after two straight 1,000-yard seasons, both of which resulted in him being voted to the Pro Bowl. But he sustained two concussions and a knee injury in 2017, causing him to miss two games and clearly limiting his effectiveness even when he was on the field. He dipped to 865 yards rushing and 36 pass receptions, both significant drop-offs from the two previous seasons.In an effort to keep Freeman healthy, the Falcons didn't use him at all during the preseason. Freeman talked optimistically of being fully recovered and eager to regain his previous form, but those plans went awry in the very first game.Now, his long-term future with the Falcons is in doubt.Tevin Coleman, who has stepped in as the No. 1 back, is in the final year of his contract. The Falcons must decide whether to invest in a new deal for Coleman, which would likely mean cutting ties with Freeman and taking a salary cap hit, or going in a totally different direction. Rookie running back Ito Smith has shown potential and would be a much cheaper alternative than either Freeman or Coleman for 2019.The signing of Tavecchio was expected after Bryant was ruled out for next Monday night's game against the New York Giants. The Falcons are off the following weekend, while gives the 43-year-old kicker a full three weeks to recover before Atlanta plays at Washington on Nov. 4.Tavecchio spent last season with the Oakland Raiders, connecting on 16 of his 21 field goal attempts — three of at least 50 yards — and all but one extra point. He was with the Falcons for the final game of the preseason, making him familiar to the coaching staff and a logical choice to step in when Bryant was injured.By the Numbers stats preview for Falcons vs. Dolphins The final week of preseason football is Atlanta Falcons Hats , mercifully, upon us. Atlanta takes on Miami tonight in what will probably be a thoroughly unwatchable game pitting reserves against reserves for four straight quarters. The only redeeming factor is that we’ll get to see some interesting young players make their cases for roster and practice squad spots, and there are certainly a few battles worth monitoring.The Falcons and Dolphins played each other in 2017 in what was a tale of two halves for Atlanta. Let’s hope they can put together a little more consistency this week, even if it is against back-ups. Atlanta and Miami are both 0-3 in the preseason heading into this game, so one of these two teams will end up 0-4—a mark that’s not meaningful in any kind of “real” way, but there are some pretty negative postseason trends among teams with that record.How do the Falcons and Dolphins stack up statistically? To find out, let’s take a look at both team’s offensive and defensive stats from the 2017 season.OFFENSEStatisticFalconsDolphinsStatisticFalconsDolphinsWe should all be familiar with the Falcons’ stats by now—and thankfully, this is the second-to-last time we’ll ever need to reference these 2017 numbers! Atlanta was quite efficient in terms of yardage—8th in total yards and 3rd in yards per play—but fell behind in scoring (15th). They were best in the passing game, as they were 8th in yards, T-4th in yards per attempt, and T-20th in TDs. On the ground, the Falcons were 13th in yards, T-7th in yards per carry, and T-15th in rushing TDs. Atlanta was the best team in the league on third down, converting 45% (!) of their attempts. Turnovers hurt the team significantly, however, as they wound up -2 in turnover margin (19th).The Dolphins had one of the worst offenses in the NFL in 2017—in part due to an injury to starting QB Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill will be back this season, but this team still has some legitimate talent issues. Miami was 28th in scoring, 25th in total yards, and 22nd in yards per play. In the passing game, the team was 18th in yards, T-28th in yards per attempt, and 15th in passing TDs. On the ground, the Dolphins were 29th in yards, T-22nd in yards per carry, and T-31st in rushing TDs. Miami was the worst team in the league at converting third downs, with only 32% of their attempts resulting in a 1st down. Turnovers were also a big issue, as the Dolphins were -14 in turnover margin (30th).Advantage: FalconsDEFENSEStatisticFalconsDolphinsStatisticFalconsDolphinsI’m still quite happy to talk about these defensive statistics for the Falcons. How long had it been since we’d had a top-10 defense? Too long! Atlanta was 8th in points allowed, 9th in total yards allowed, and 13th in yards per play—big improvements from 2016. In the passing game, the team was 12th in yardage Atlanta Falcons Hoodie , T-8th in yards per attempt, and T-12th in passing TDs allowed. On the ground, the Falcons were 9th in yardage, T-16th in yards per carry, and T-6th in rushing TDs allowed. Atlanta was about average on third down, allowing a 38% conversion rate (16th). The Falcons were also above-average at generating pressure, with 39 sacks in 2017 (T-13th).The Dolphins were largely a below average defense, with their turnover issues further magnifying those problems. As a result, Miami was 29th in points allowed, but only 16th in total yards allowed and 23rd in yards per play. Defending the pass, the team was 16th in yardage, T-19th in yards per attempt, and 23rd in passing TDs allowed. Against the run, the Dolphins were 14th in yardage, T-16th in yards per carry, and T-22nd in rushing TDs allowed. Miami was actually solid on third down, allowing only 37% of conversion attempts (11th). The Dolphins were not very good at generating pressure, however, with only 30 sacks in 2017 (T-26th).Advantage: FalconsMuch like during the 2017 regular season, the Falcons clearly outclass the Dolphins on both offense and defense. If these two teams were to meet in the regular season, you’d expect the Falcons to come away with the victory. However, this isn’t the regular season—we’re going to get a healthy dose of Matt Schaub and the high variance play of Kurt Benkert. These stats don’t really tell the story of the back-ups as much as both teams’ 0-3 records do.For the Falcons, I think their 0-3 record has much to do with the fact that Dan Quinn cares very little about winning preseason games. For the Dolphins, I think their poor record is a more accurate reflection of their overall roster talent. That should lead to the Falcons getting their first (and only) preseason win on Thursday, especially if we can get a strong game from Schaub and Benkert.Watch individual performances in preseason, not necessarily the play of the entire unit. It’d be nice to see the Falcons come away with a victory here, but I’m not going to lose any sleep over it if they don’t. Keep your eyes on the position battles: which WRs stand out, does anyone emerge at EDGE, and will we see Jalston Fowler take control of the FB battle?Overall Advantage: FalconsHow do you think the Falcons and Dolphins match-up statistically in this final preseason game? Do you expect Atlanta to come away with their first preseason win on Thursday? Who are some players you’ll be keeping a close eye on during the game?

2018 has Black Brian Poole Jersey turned into an unending slew of injuries to countless key players, and Devonta Freeman is no exception. He finished out Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers without any known issues, then popped up midweek with a foot injury that kept him out of practice. Freeman’s injury was later reported as a foot contusion. Per Google, that’s basically a bad, painful bruise. That is not preferable, but per ESPN’s Dan Graziano http://www.authenticsatlantafalcons.com/cheap-robert-alford-jersey , not nearly as bad as the bone contusion that kept him out three games.While fans are likely more concerned about the potential return of Grady Jarrett to a struggling defensive line, Freeman should provide another weapon against Mike Smith’s vanilla defense. Today’s injury report will be pretty important, but Freeman is the type of established veteran that does not have to practice to play on Sunday.Nike airs Colin Kaepernick commercial during Falcons vs. Eagles season opener There’s no question that the NFL wants to wash their hands of Colin Kaepernick. He was the catalyst to an escalating PR catastrophe that has resulted in countless players kneeling during the anthem, countless tweets from President Trump, and the planned $100 million in donations to social justice issues. Despite some new rules and the massive donation, it seems like no one is happy. Now the NFL is on the defensive again Youth Devonta Freeman Jersey , as long-time sponsor Nike has not only given Kaepernick a sweetheart deal, but made him the center of a massive ad campaign.While the NFL certainly wants to put this fiasco in their rearview mirror, Nike just kicked off their ad campaign during the season opener Thursday Night Football game. There’s no turning a new page on this year, as the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles open the season with Kaepernick in the backdrop. Kaepernick tweeted the full two minute commercial yesterday on his official Twitter account.The commercial, narrated by Kaepernick, showing a number of people overcoming disabilities to eventually reach their dream Youth Alex Mack Jersey , including the one handed Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin. The ad campaign puts even more pressure on the NFL. Can they take a hardline against Nike, the company that makes the NFL millions, and even makes their jerseys? The answer to that is unclear. The only thing clear is that Kaepernick’s campaign won’t be swept under the rug. While the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is unlikely to see the field this year, don’t be surprised to see him on game day commercials throughout this season.In the meantime, the Falcons will try keeping their very narrow 6-3 lead just after halftime.

The Atlanta Falcons have fallen to 1-4. As Falcons Twitter maven Evan Birchfield noted Matt Ryan Jersey , no team has ever made it to the Super Bowl after a 1-4 start. Unfortunately, 2018 might well be over. The reason for the slip? There are many, but Steve in Brooklyn put it well on Twitter himself recently. Blame dirty, rotten luck.Injury City Go back to the second Keanu Neal went down, and then Deion Jones went down, and Devonta Freeman went down, and then Ricardo Allen went down, and then Takk McKinley missed a game, and then Desmond Trufant got hurt on a drive that let up a touchdown, and Justin Bethel went down, and Andy Levitre went down, and Derrick Shelby went down, and Grady Jarrett went down...you get where this is going. Sign up for FanPulse, our weekly Falcons survey.The Falcons came into 2018 with everything they needed to compete. Sure, you could say the defensive line didn’t have enough firepower, but you could survive that if the linebacking corps and secondary did what we all thought it was capable of. That offense? Well, it secretly was actually really good without any of us knowing it, though we didn’t see much of that Sunday. If this team had not gotten smitten (smited? smitered?) by the bug of injury, they might be undefeated right now. They might not, given the state of the defensive line, but the You know, you can’t regulate luck. You either have it, or you don’t. Right now, the Falcons are running on empty in a car with two flat tires careening towards a flaming lake. And it’s really not the team’s fault that they’re here. Blame, Shame and Game It’s fair to question if the team did everything it could’ve to make this not as bad as it could’ve been. When Neal went down http://www.authenticsatlantafalcons.com/cheap-matt-bosher-jersey , one wonders what would’ve happened if they’d just signed Eric Reid and let him get acclimated to the system. But then again, they also lost Debo and Devonta in that game. It was never just as simple as replacing one person, even if that would have staved off some o the criticism. There’s no denying this defense is a problem. It’s an abysmal, injury-riddled shell of its former self. But do any of you think the Falcons could’ve just snapped their fingers to replace the heart, soul, brain and physical punishing force that Neal brought? We can be critical that a good safety like Reid was out there for the taking, but he was really it. There was no easy cure for losing Debo, and should we really be all that critical of Dan Quinn wanting to see what he had in-house? Particularly when he knew what his offense was capable of? It’s fair to wonder if they waited too long to settle all of this once it was clear the in-house options weren’t working, but it was always just Reid. I’m still peeved they didn’t make that move, but would it have really made that much of a difference? The offense has struggled on the road against outdoor teams with ferocious pass rushes. But they always used to do that. These are the types of games where defense is supposed to take over and make life easier on the offense. When the defense is virtually nonexistent, the good, even the best, offenses take a step back. It’s fair to want more from what the Falcons have right now, but it’s not fair to want what was promised. That has been ripped away by the cruel specter of chance, and it won’t return until guys heal up and replacement guys can get comfortable in their new roles, and that may not come soon enough. The missed tackles and busted coverages hurt, but a lot of that comes down to a lack of communication. Having your quarterback sacked six times stinks to high heaven, but that happens on the road sometimes against a pass rush willing to pin their ears back, even if it doesn’t say anything great about the line. We can coach from the sidelines as to who should play when, and why this guy is in or this guy is out, but there is method to the madness as to why they’ve done what they’ve done. It might not have gone as well as hoped, but there wasn’t a lot they could do. Aim for the Right TargetNo, the Falcons cannot compete against good teams like we planned on them doing right now. They’ve not navigated this period of malcontent with perfection, but they’re doing the best they can. They tried to lean on what they had, but it wasn’t good enough. Perhaps this team knows deep down what its limitations were without its favored sons. Perhaps we all expected too much when the foundation fell out on the house http://www.authenticsatlantafalcons.com/cheap-desmond-trufant-jersey , including the team. Perhaps the season really was lost when the rain started to fall on that slippery Philadelphia field, and none of us knew it. So stop blaming Dan Quinn. He technically made the moves in the 2018 offseason to fix the offense and fielded what looked like for about a quarter-and-a-half against the Eagles to be a nasty defense (before it would become, well, a nasty defense). Stop blaming Matt Ryan, who looked like an MVP for most of September after that first dud before struggling on the road to win games by himself. Stop blaming Steve Sarkisian, who has wrung real improvement out of the offense after a rigid 2017 and who can’t do a ton when his offensive line can’t block. Stop blaming the defense as it is, a ragtag assembly of guys out of position and out of their comfort zones, without the leadership, skill matching and communication necessary to really succeed. Stop blaming some imaginary Atlanta curse that supposedly looms over the city’s sports teams, even if it seems like that sometimes. Blame the bad draw. Blame the frustrating inevitability of what happens when the injuries begin to pile up. 2019 might actually be a huge change of fortune if the Falcons can actually field the team they planned on fielding, which will depend on better injury luck and some cap magic. Yes, 2018 might be good and dead by now, but that’s not wholly on the Atlanta Falcons. It was poor luck, more than anything, that got this team to where they are today.Contract talks with Falcons DT Grady Jarrett on hold If you’re looking for the Atlanta Falcons to extend Grady Jarrett past his 2018 contract, you might want to get comfortable. Jason Butt of The Athletic reports that GM Thomas Dimitroff has indicated that talks are on hold with Jarrett for now. So, for now, things are tabled for Jarrett getting a new extension. No doubt Los Angeles Rams star DT Aaron Donald getting a fresh paycheck doesn’t help matters, though Jarrett’s eventual deal will come in short of that mark. We’ll see what the future holds for Jarrett getting paid. He could make anywhere from $12-17 million a season with the market as it is for defensive tackles, and his management might want him to put on some strong 2018 tape to drive that number up from where Dimitroff and company might be at the moment. Watch for November. The Falcons extended both T Ryan Schraeder and CB Robert Alford around that time in 2016, and we could see Dimitroff angle for that once more. The team didn’t have any major re-signings to take care of in March for guys with expiring contracts, so that could be when we see Jarrett’s deal get taken care of. The team will get this one done, we think, and it’s just a matter of when. Don’t worry about it unless we hear rumbles of unrest later in the year.

On a clear Sunday afternoon in Oakland Seth Roberts Jersey , California, there was thunder at the Coliseum. It wasn’t in the air, but on the field in the form of Marshawn Lynch. Oakland’s homegrown star showed up in a big way en route to the Raiders 45-42 overtime victory against the Cleveland Browns. Lynch finished the game with 130 yards (6.5 yards per carry) on the ground, the most he has recorded in a single contest since Nov. 9, 2014. It was the way he fought for those yards that reminded fans why he is called ‘Beastmode’. “Lynch is unbelievable,” head coach Jon Gruden said of his workhorse back after the game. “What a great competitor.” There is no doubt we are seeing vintage ‘Beastmode’ this year. He is running hard, he is playing explosive, and evoking memories of his heyday.Lynch ran for his 300th yard in week nine last season. He has 300 yards through four weeks and now ranks fourth in the NFL. He also has more receiving yards through four games than his first ten games in 2017.While he is probably physically in better shape than last season, it has been his heart that has showed, his unwillingness to let the first defender bring him down. It was that drive and passion that led the Raiders to victory.“He runs hard,” Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson said. “He knows how to get into that second level and finish. He never goes down initially. He tries to get to that second level and keep pushing.”The 32-year-old running back fought valiantly for every yard against the Browns, often dragging multiple defenders to gain a first down. As the game progressed and began to look as if it might slip out of the Raiders hands, a 52-yard run in the third quarter by Lynch brought the team back to life. “Every run is so different,” explained fellow running back Jalen Richard. “I’m just seeing so much different stuff from him. The dude is unreal. Hall of Famer.”Usually viewed as a quiet player that does his talking on the field, Lynch made an exception in the second half giving the offensive line a rare pep talk. “Well, Marshawn [Lynch] only talks when stuff is really bad,” said Bruce Irvin who has been teammates with Lynch back to their time together in Seattle. “So you know I’ve seen him rally the guys together a couple times in Seattle, but you know when the Beast needs to say something, he’s going to say it. Obviously it worked, we got out of here with a win.”That speech combined with Lynch’s play on the field and his sheer will carried the Raiders to their first win of the season. “He was saying basically that we’re putting the game on our backs Cheap P.J. Hall Jersey ,” rookie offensive tackle Kolton Miller added. “They’re running behind us, it starts with us, he gave us really encouraging words. He said ‘I’m going to run with y’all’ and that really boosted us.”Boom, boom, boom. The sound of ‘Marshawn Lynch continually plowing through defenders echoed throughout Oakland Coliseum, followed by a roar from the crowd.“For him to consistently run the way that he does, give the effort that he does – he’s a hall of famer,” said Derek Carr. “The guy is one of the best running backs to ever play this game. You can’t tell a football story without Marshawn Lynch.”Offensive coordinator Greg Olson league-leading distinction could be of great help to Jon Gruden and Raiders in their trip across the pond Tonight the Seahawks head to London while the Raiders fly out Thursday night. The two teams which are a few hundred miles apart in the states, flying halfway around the world to face each other.Both teams are doing the trip non-stop from the West coast to London, which is about an 11-hour flight. The Seahawks will have a couple days to recover while the Raiders will have one day. According to Jon Gruden, he may need a lot more than a day or even a couple days.“I don’t know. I hope I can make it, honestly. I’m not great. I get claustrophobic,” said Gruden. “My son wasa weightlifter and he won a powerlifting competition in Belarus. I had to fly 14 hours. I had to fly home 14 hours. I had vertigo for a month. I couldn’t even lay down, the house was spinning. I am hoping I don’t get vertigo. I’m not a great traveler. I’ll be honest with you, I hate it. I’m not good. I’m concerned. I’m more worried about that than our goal-line offense right now.”The Raiders made the trip to London back in 2014. That year they chose to play in New England the week before, then fly into London and spend the week practicing there. That allowed them to better acclimate to the game. Then they went out and looked terrible, but that was mainly because they were just a terrible overall team. Dennis Allen was fired after the game, and the Raiders went on to lose six more after that.There are only two players from that 2014 team who will take the field Sunday.But there is one coach as well, and he is a savvy veteran when it comes to playing in London. Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson.“I know it’s seven for sure, maybe eight http://www.raiderscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-marcus-gilchrist-jersey ,” Olson said of how many trips he’s made to London for a game. The last two of those games were while he was the OC in Jacksonville which has played a game in London every season since 2013, so this will be the seventh time Olson has played in London in his coaching career.“I enjoy the trip, really. I think it’s good for team bonding. It’s good to get away for a little bit in a long season. I think it’s great this time in the schedule, Game 6, I think with the four preseason games it’s the half way part of the season. I think it’s a real good time for the team to bond. Get over there, be away from any distractions and just a good time to be with your teammates.” Olson has spent the week in London leading up to the game, obviously with the Raiders, and probably with other teams as well, and said he prefers to head over a day before the game as opposed to spending the week there.“I think it was good for our players to be here and rehab and rest here and be in their own beds and have a chance to sleep. We started by having an early week. They actually are going to get an extra day of rest Friday on the travel day and tomorrow night so I think we will be fresh and ready to go. I like the way that they set it up, our trainers and our strength staff, and coach set it up this year.” Olson is 3-3 on his six trips to play in London, and has won his last three — last season with the Rams and the two previous seasons with the Jaguars. So, I’d say his advice carries some weight as to what works best.Gruden said Olson will be his “tour guide” in London, though there won’t be any time for tourist type stuff.“It’ll probably be mostly just football. I think the length of the flight, probably get over there on Friday and mostly just recover with the players. Get them to stretch. Get them a little something to eat. Get their blood pumping. Get a walkthrough. Then Saturday the day before the game, a lot of review. There won’t be a lot of time for sightseeing, but I’ll try to sneak out and make some friends.”Hey, maybe since the Raiders have a bye week a few of the players and coaches will stick around London after the game instead of flying right back home. I know I will.Follow @LeviDamien

Two days Rodney Hudson Jersey following the cutdown deadline which included the release of Martavis Bryant, the Raiders have made another move at receiver, signing Brandon LaFell to a one-year deal according to his agent.The 31-year-old receiver had spent the past two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and was released in early August. He was in a battle for playing time at receiver heading into camp and asked for his release.“We have been lobbying for his release for some time now and appreciate the Bengals granting our request,” LaFell’s agent Jonathan Feinsod told NFL.com.The 6-3 Authentic Kelechi Osemele Jersey , 210-pounder has never had a 1000-yard season in his career. His best season was in 2014 when he caught 74 passes for 953 yards and 7 touchdowns. He had 52 catches for 548 yards and 3 touchdowns last season in Cincinnati.He joins a receiver group that has Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson as the starters. LaFell will either battle Seth Roberts, Dwayne Harris, Johnny Holton, and Keon Hatcher for knock one of them off the roster.Update: Johnny Holton has been released in a corresponding move. These moves are now official.Follow @LeviDamien2018 NFL Week 2 Thursday night football open thread: Bengals vs. Ravens Greetings Youth Reggie Nelson Jersey , Raider Nation! Tonight the second week of the NFL season begins, with a Thursday night matchup between bitter divisional rivals Cincinnati and Baltimore. Both teams were victorious last week as the Ravens walloped Buffalo and the Bengals took care of the Colts.Both teams are a half game ahead of the Browns and Steelers, who hilariously tied in Cleveland last week. After this game, one of them will be alone in first place in the AFC North. Both of these teams are future Raiders opponents later in the season http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-gabe-jackson-jersey , so this game will provide some valuable insight into both of them.The running game will be key for both the Ravens and Bengals tonight. The Bengals have the explosive Joe Mixon, while the Ravens employ the tough-as-nails Alex Collins. Cincinnati might be a bit more stacked at receiver with AJ Green and John Ross, but Joe Flacco should have an easier time against the Cincinnati secondary.AFC North games are always brutal and physical, so we should be in for a fun game tonight. You can watch live on the NFL Network at 5:20 p.m. Pacific.